Strengths
Lucas Tischer is an exclusive post player, who loves to bang and wrestle inside. Looking at him, the first thing you will notice is his huge frame. He is 6-10, blond and light skinned, weighs 270 pounds, and has wide shoulders and great upper body strength. Very muscular, in the way Alonzo Mourning used to be, Lucas lights up the game with his explosiveness and energy when he is on the floor. He uses his long arms to throw down thunderous dunks and block shots, making him a fan favorite. Also, he is quick off his feet, contrary to what his weight might suggest. The kid is very athletic, runs the floor extremely well and has a nice vertical leap to go with his speed. His first step is good, but not great, as he is able to take advantage of it in Brazilian competition. Around here he outmuscles everybody, being challenged only by Estevam Ferreira Jr. (7-0, 250lbs) and Murilo (Becker) da Rosa (6-10, 250lbs).

Tischer is basically a defensive player at the moment, he patrols the paint swatting and altering shots, grabbing rebounds and tipping the ball off directly to his teammates to start fast breaks. He puts forth great effort on the defensive end, but can’t do it for long periods as he finds himself in constant foul trouble. His positioning needs work as well and he tends to keep his hands down most of the time, near the basket, when he should keep them half way up or totally up, the way Tim Duncan does. This alone, would definitely help him rebound better and alter/block shots. He does play nice defense, switching with teammates and pressing his man, but he isn’t the space eating defender he could be, considering his size, nor can he lock down his man consistently.

Tischer is limited offensively, however, he has shown signs of potential on the offensive end. He is a solid post player, restricted to the post, but solid. Possesses a solid baby hook and when given a little space takes off for powerful dunks which few players can stop. He suffers from not being involved enough in the game as he is given the ball, always strictly in the paint, only two or three times a game. In the past, Lucas has delivered several games of 20 points or more, playing in top tournaments against top competition. One game a couple of years back sticks out in particular, when he went head-to-head with Murilo (Becker) da Rosa, probably the top big man in Brazil these days, and both of them had huge games with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Weaknesses
The offensive end is where Lucas displays most of his weaknesses, as he is very limited. He doesn’t put the ball on the floor enough and his ball handling needs development. Usually he sets screens for his teammates and then goes for the offensive rebound. Most of his points come off dunks, tip-ins and baby hooks. His shot is awkward and looks unnatural, but he rarely uses it, only on free throws where he struggles to convert (54% for the season).

His footwork is decent, but still needs plenty of work. Becoming more of a vocal player would help him a lot on the court as well. He's a player who displays flashes of great basketball almost every game, but fails to show it consistently throughout the game. He is extremely inconsistent.

Another aspect of his game where developments could be made is his passing ability, although he has nice hands, which is decent enough for the Brazilian level, he will need to add more to it in the next level.

This is a kid in need of coaching at the moment, apart from the considerations made so far, concerning basic basketball skills and instincts, he commits several mistakes that good coaching would eliminate. He is still very raw as well, and needs to be worked with and developed urgently, especially on his offensive skills. He has a laid back attitude and tends to get frustrated at times, mainly with the officials and his offensive flaws, but is not bound for indiscipline.

Competition
Still just 21 years old (will be 22 on March 29th), Tischer is currently playing for Keltek/São Jos dos Pinhais, a team based in South Brazil, competing in the national championship. His numbers aren’t great, as he is averaging 7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1 bpg, 59.1 FG%, in 18.4 mpg. But you have to consider he is playing alongside a couple of big guys who have been constant names in the national team call-ups. They are Marcos M. da Rosa (6,11 225lbs) and William F. Drudi (6,8 230lbs) and in the three big men rotation, he is the one getting the least amount of playing time.

Keltek is currently in 10th place in the tournament with a 5 win, 7 losses record, but is rising in the standings, as they develop team chemistry, and has a nice chance to crack a spot in the playoffs. The team was reunited only on January 20th, and began playing the competition on the 25th. As a result, the initial games were poor.

He plays for a very perimeter oriented team, they get most of their points on outside shots, rarely using the inside game. That’s what hurts Lucas Tischer the most, as he is an exclusive post player.

Outlook
Lucas Tischer is definitely a center, with very few skills to play another position. He already has an NBA body and nice athleticism, which could entice an NBA team to pick him up in June, as he is automatically eligible as a 1983 born prospect.

According to his agent (Herb Rudoy from Interperformances) Tischer will be coming to the States in late May or early June and will be working out for NBA teams at their request.

Comments
When talking about possible draft prospects in Brazil it´s impossible to pass on Lucas Tischer. Owner of some of the greatest plays in Brazilian basketball over the past few years, Lucas is a mountain of potential waiting to explode, but short of the spark.

About his game, first you have to consider he is currently playing the Fiba game, which limits him a lot. His physical game is called for many imaginary fouls, defensively and offensively, so he would benefit a lot at the NBA level. Like Richard Jefferson said at the Olympics: “they (the Fiba referees) don’t let the big guys play" (referring to Tim Duncan), an affirmation absolutely true here in Brazil.

Until this upcoming draft, if he intends to help himself, Lucas will have to display a lot more in the Brazilian league, even making it to the playoffs, or a little further. In doing so he may have at least a realistic shot at the second round, alongside his fellow countrymen Murilo (Becker) da Rosa and Marcelinho Huertas. So far, there is hope some team decides to select him in the second round, sending him to Europe for a couple years to develop, based on his potential.

Facts
Lucas is a prospect who learned the game in the city of Franca-SP, the basketball capital of Brazil. Working under the influence of nice coaches, he was a regular national selection to the Brazilian young teams and has been permanently called to the main national team, although he has yet to make the final cut.